The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-02
TURBULENT WATERS.
The Freshet in Various Parts of
Maine.
Loss of Many Thousands of Dollars
on the Kennebec.
Damage to Mills, Bridges and other
Property.


AUGUSTA, May 1.-Since the great freshet
of 1882 the Kennebec has not been so unruly
as for the past three days, where rise has
resulted entirely from snow and rain. There
have been freshets, when ithe ice, damming
up below the city, has caused the water to
rise higher The rise of February, 1870, was
an example where an ice gorge formed below
Hallowel, and the water was five feet higher
below the dam on this occasion. more wa
ter" says gentleman well acquainted with
the Kennebec and its vagaries, 'has been
flowing at this time than ever known be-
FORE" At all events the river grew far be-
yond its wonted proportions. The cause of
all this aggregation of waters was the heavy
rain OF Thursday night and Friday, which,
combining with the melting snow at the
head waters, were emptied into the streams,
and from the streams into the main river.
The first rise noticeable here was Friday
morning. Even in the beginning the wa
ter was flowing thinly over the wharves
During the day there was gradual but GER
tain growth, and Friday night the increase
was exceedingly rapid-four or five inches an
hour. AT 6 o'clock in the afternoon there
was nearly six feet flowing over the dam.
Owners of property along the river banks
perceiving that trouble was ahead, began to
make ready. In the fine, new Edwards Com
pany's mill, three hundred looms were pre-
pared for a soaking; all portable portions
being removed to place of safety. Some
sixty bales of cloth were also taken to high
er quarters.
The cellars along the river front were all
cleaned out, and none too soon, for during
the night the waters had crept into them
Saturday found the river way up a seething
turbulent flood rushed by the city, eddying
in whirlpools about the coyes and points.
The sight was grand one, and all day long
crowds of people thronged the banks, back
windows, bridge, and available points of in
spection, viewing the boiling waters carry
ing with it numerous barrels, boxes, logs and
no end of drift wood which had been licked
off the shores.
When Saturday morning dawned there
was over ten feet of water pouring over the
dam, and it had reached the caves of the
Kennebec Steamboat Company's building at
their landing. The water continued to gain
slowly until about / O'Clock p. M, when
there was standstill. and shortly after
wards gradual falling off. At the highest
point the depth on the dam was within two
inches of twelve feet. Water street cellars
were submerged six or eight feet. and many
of the French inhabitants on the low terri
tory at the north end packed up ready to
move in case of further rise
Gaturdov oioh+ +bara x.oc n fo1l;,<s oee of
nearly three feet, and Sunday evening all
danger was ended, the total reduction having
reached over six feet.
The lumbermen felt the freshet more than
any other class and were exceedingly anxious
about their logs. There were six million
feet in the jam at Carratunk Falls which
burst on Friday and two million belonging
to Lawrence & Phillips, which went out of
the Somerset boom. More or less of these
logs came down and ioated by this-city, and
will be nearly total loss to their owners, it
being impracticable to recover them The
large majority of course were stranded in
the coves and on the low lands. The Nor
ridgewock booms became a repository fer no
small number. But few escaped from the
streams and tributary rivers, but largely in
creased expense will be sustained by the
lumber operatives in dragging the logs
stranded on the banks. The booms at Five
Mile Island above Augusta and the Brown
Island boom Farmingdale proved to be of
little use in stopping the floating lumber.
Ten thousand logs belonging to the Brad
streets went down out of the latter. "a low
estimate of the entire damage ON the Kenne-
bee by the freshet," said level headed
lumberman to-day is $4,000. Another gentle
man placed it at over 100000.
The running of the Maine Central trains
was materially interfered with on this sec
tion of the road. Three miles above Vassal-
boro station the track was submerged for
distance of five hundred feet-a portion of
the distance depth of three feet. Trains
could not be run across this, of course, and
Jewett's OF Saturday forenoon was stopped
at that point, returning in the afternoon.
The p. M train for Bangor proceeded no
further than this city, and the Pullman went
over the back route. Saturdays noon freight
got no further than Riverside When the
waters had subsided somewhat this morning
crew of wreckers put the track in repair
and at 1890 p. M a car and locomotive arrived
from Wateryille, bringing the Heralds and
Globes, Sunday nights Pullman trains came
through all right. The track was flowed
for quite distance but the water was SO
shallow as to be of no hindranceI to the
trains.
Reports from Waterville were that the
boat house bridge over the Massalonskee
stream had gone out and the highway bridge
over the Sebasticook was in jeopardy.
The drying of submerged cellars and store
houses will be in order for the next few days.
Damage at Buckfieid.
Especial TO the Press.l
BUcKFIELD, April 30.-The freshet al
Buckfeld is the highest since 1879. Nezin.
scott river overfiowed its banks, and the in.